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11 January 2021 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied
Vincent Clarke
Dr Ralph Clark

The Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), the flagship research group of the University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus, has recently been granted R8,4 million to establish a Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre programme.

The Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre (RVSC) programme was established by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) as part of the Global Change Research Plan for South Africa and is funded by the DSI through the National Research Foundation (NRF). The RVSC will focus on the need to generate and disseminate knowledge about risk and vulnerability on global change challenges faced by local policy makers/ governance structures and communities in South Africa.

Invited to participate  

Dr Ralph Clark, Director of the ARU, says the UFS, together with the University of Zululand and the Sol Plaatje University, has been invited to participate in Phase 2 of the RVSC programme. Dr Clark was approached by the DSI (on referral from the South African Environmental Observation Network – SAEON) in February 2020 regarding the potential for establishing a RVSC at the UFS Qwaqwa campus.

Subsequent interactions were held between the UFS and DSI, and in March 2020, the UFS formally accepted the DSI invitation. It has since been agreed that the RVSC: UFS will be hosted as a RVSC under the ARU umbrella, with dedicated personnel embedded at the UFS in this regard (internal processes and reporting) but reporting directly to the NRF regarding the RVSC.

Interest and support welcomed

Dr Clark welcomed this interest and support from the DSI-NRF, saying that the funds will further assist the UFS in growing its excellent and growing research portfolio and building more research capacity on this traditionally undergraduate-focused campus. “The RVSC will contribute to much-needed solutions in an area marked by major sustainability challenges and will assist in moving Phuthaditjhaba away from its negative apartheid history towards becoming a sustainable African mountain city,” says Dr Clark.

News Archive

State of our campuses #1
2017-02-22

After yesterday’s disruption of academic activities on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), a memorandum was handed to the UFS management by members of the Transitional Student Council (TSC) and the Free Education Movement (FEM) in the late afternoon.

Some disruption of classes occurred last night and again today. The university management handed a response on the memorandum to student leaders this afternoon.

Contingency plans for the safety and security of staff and students are still in place and members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) are on standby. The senior leadership continues to monitor the situation with the support and assistance of the SAPS and will deploy all lawful means to minimise disruption and maintain the academic programme.

The academic programme continues as normal. Any updates will be shared on the university’s communication platforms.

A voice clip has been circulating among UFS students since yesterday. The clip did not originate from the UFS. It has been in circulation at universities in the country for at least the past 12 months. UFS staff and students should not feel threatened by the content thereof.



Disruption of academic activities: 21 February 2017

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

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